Stable angina usually improves with medication.

• Heart attack
• Sudden death caused by abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
• Unstable angina

Seek medical attention if you have new, unexplained chest pain or pressure. If you have had angina before, call your doctor.

Call 911 if your angina pain:

• Does not go away after 15 minutes
• Does not go away after three doses of nitroglycerin
• Is getting worse
• Returns after the nitroglycerin helped at first

Call your doctor if:

• You are having angina symptoms more often.
• You are having angina when you are sitting. This is called rest angina.
• You are feeling tired more often.
• You are feeling faint or light-headed.
• Your heart is beating very slowly (less than 60 beats a minute) or very fast (more than 120 beats a minute), or it is not steady.
• You are having trouble taking your heart medicines.
• You have any other unusual symptoms.

Seek immediate medical help if a person with angina loses consciousness.

Images

Heart, front view

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Review Date: 06/21/2010
Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)